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Dropped connections every 5 minutes

11K views 17 replies 5 participants last post by  TerryNet 
#1 ·
My router keeps dropping the connection every 2-5 minutes. I have a:
Linksys Wireless-G Broadband Router with 4 port switch - Model: WRT54G

What could be the problem? Drivers?
 
#2 ·
Does it drop if your hardwired or wireless? Have you reset the modem and the router? Have you tried pinging the router during a drop and have you tried pinging an external IP during a drop? What are the results? Have you tried using your wireless PC (possibly laptop?) in another wireless locatio nt see if it functions there?
 
#4 ·
StumpedTechy said:
Does it drop if your hardwired or wireless? Have you reset the modem and the router? Have you tried pinging the router during a drop and have you tried pinging an external IP during a drop? What are the results? Have you tried using your wireless PC (possibly laptop?) in another wireless locatio nt see if it functions there?
It only drops the wireless, not the hardwired. I have pressed the reset button for 20 seconds and have the light flicker. I also unplugged it and plugged it back in. It happens all over the house, even when the laptop is on my desk. I updated the firmware via linksys.com and my sister says it drops a little bit less but its still an annoyance according to her.
I dont know how to ping, how do i do that?

TerryNet said:
And if you have a 2.4Ghz cordless phone, unplug the base station and remove the handset's battery and see if that improves things.
Well its a fairly new problem and I havent bought a new phone, but ill try that. Just wondering, why would a 2.4 ghz cordless phone cause a bad connection?
 
#5 ·
"Just wondering, why would a 2.4 ghz cordless phone cause a bad connection?"

You apparently have never tried to listen to a radio station while also hearing another station broadcasting on the same or very close frequency. :) Or tried to listen to two people talking at the same time about different things.

I've never heard anything more detailed than "wireless interference," but I think that sometimes a router interprets a cordless phone signal as a command to disconnect all connections or just all wireless connections.
 
#6 ·
Actually how it has been explained to me is like this.

On the wireless 2.4GHz band there is a block of MHz that the devices work on. The Wifi uses 3 22MHz bands to communicate and must be set accordingly. (This is known as its channels). Then there is the wireless phone this wireless phone uses 5 to 10MHz. Now the fact is they communicate with different "langagues" on these bands and the truth is the cordless phone always wins out in the battle. The cordless phone will make a network stop but not vice versa. (I am assuming due to the high demand for back and fourth talking on the network side and keep alives and things of that nature I realy never investigated it enough to worry about it).

Now comes the fun part... some cordless phones can have a manual channel programmed into them. Others however channel hop. If you have a channel hopping phone you probably can never effectivly block out it interfering with your 2.4 ghz wifi unless you 1) Upgrade to a 5.8ghz phone 2) downgrade to 900mhz phones. Neither of these will interfere with the 2.4ghz spectrum at all.
 
#7 ·
sf_331, any updates to report?

You asked about pinging. While I think it's clear from you posts that your wireless connection drops and the wired connections and the router's connection to the internet stay on, it is still very useful to know how to ping. Following is how to use ping to test for communication with your router, the internet, and the internet with symbolic name.

To open a Command Window: Start - Run - cmd (command in 98SE) - OK

To determine a computer's IP address and router's IP address: open a Command Window and type
ipconfig /all

The "Gateway" is the router's IP address.

Now for some troubleshooting:

1. On the PC open a Command window and type
ping IProuter (where IProuter is the IP address of the router)

Do you get Replies, or do you get packets lost?

IF you got replies,
2. ping 66.94.234.13 (or any other internet address you know)

Do you get Replies, or do you get packets lost?

If you got replies,
3. ping www.yahoo.com (or any other internet name)

Do you get Replies, or do you get packets lost?
 
#8 ·
I recently changed from a Linksys wireless router to a D-Link to obtain a USB connection for my printer. My desktop is wired, my laptop is wireless. I now suffer from the same ills discussed here, my laptop "drops" the connection randomly. I did not have this problem with the old router (when connected, the D-Link seems to be faster than the old Linksys but I could have a vivid imagination). Nothing has changed but the router. Can it be that my signal strength isn't strong enough? Would an replacement antenna help?

THANKS!
 
#9 ·
Welcome, sbrown54. Please initiate your own thread because forum rules frown on multiple people trying to get help in one thread and because my muddled mind has trouble just keeping one problem straight. While you are initiating, please note the suggestions in posts #2 and 3 above.
 
#10 ·
im sorry about the delay
i had to leave the city on an emergency

Box #1 worked
Box #2 not showed (done to the router).. got a connection timeout after request #2
Box #3 worked
Box #4 worked

thiis is done from the laptop

i really appreciate the help, i really need it :)
 
#11 ·
Are the disconnects very brief, and then it reconnects automatically? Or do you have to do something (what?) to reconnect?

Have you eliminated 2.4Ghz cordless phone as a possible cause?

What is the brand and model of your wireless adapter?

If it is an integrated adapter, make sure you have or get the latest driver and utility from the laptop manufacturer's web site. If not integrated, get the same from the adapter manufacturer's site.

Are you using Windows' WZC or the adapter's utility to manage the connection? Are you sure that the other one is not running?
 
#16 ·
"its not the phone since i disconnected all the phones"

Does that mean that for all 2.4Ghz cordless phones you unplugged the base station and removed the battery from the handset?

"it affected both laptops at teh same time" implies wireless interference. Is there another network on the same or close channel? Do you live in something like an apartment where a neighbor's 2.4Ghz cordless could be close enough to interfere?

You might want to download NetStumbler from http://www.netstumbler.com/ and see what that might tell you about noise on the line or Signal to Noise ratio.
 
#17 ·
The absolute most common reason for this behavior is actually a bug in XP Wireless Zero Config. Due to the fact that your disconnection is periodic and lasts a few seconds, it's probably a problem with the SSID. Try changing your SSID because most likely your neighbor has the same SSID and that is causing the conflict.
 
#18 ·
Hi And5555. What bug in WZC? I'm aware of two conditions that cause WZC to act like this, but how would they synchronize (since sf_331 said "it affected both laptops at teh same time")? And how do we know that WZC is being used on either or both laptops? I asked but don't recall seeing a reply yet.

How could having the same SSID cause disconnects? I understand that having the same is confusing and could result in a person connecting to the wrong one, but I don't understand what conflict you are talking about. If they are on the same or close channel, there would be interference independent of SSID.
 
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